Economic Development in Camden, Afghanistan to be Spotlighted during April 18 Lecture

CAMDEN – Economic development lessons from Camden and Afghanistan will be discussed during a free, public lecture at Rutgers University—Camden at 11 a.m. Thursday, April 18.

The annual Jacob Abraham and Mildred Amelia Baron Lecture will feature David Foster, president of Cooper’s Ferry Partnership, who will discuss his experiences in both Camden and Afghanistan during the talk “Finding Balance: Public and Private Sector Roles in Economic Development.”

Through his work with Cooper’s Ferry Partnership, Foster helps to facilitate the revival of the city by promoting an environment where people choose to live, work, and invest. He previously served as president and CEO of the Greater Camden Partnership. During January through July 2012, Foster deployed to Afghanistan as the lead economic development officer for NATO’s counter-corruption and organized crime task force, CJIATF-Shafafiyat. A former infantry officer in the U.S. Army’s Airborne Division, he has served as a reservist in the Army’s Stability Operations Division at the Pentagon.

Foster’s lecture is presented as part of the Jacob Abraham and Mildred Amelia Baron Lecture Series, made possible by a $100,000 donation from 1969 Rutgers–Camden alumnus Jeffrey Baron to the department that inspired him as an undergraduate: political science. Now a partner at Baron & Brennan in Voorhees, Baron established the fund to honor his parents who contributed to his Rutgers’ education.

A pair of Rutgers University–Camden students has found a new family of functional materials for the production of clean hydrogen fuel through photocatalysis, a process that uses sunlight or ultraviolet light to drive chemical reactions.

Marcus Biddle, a Rutgers University–Camden Civic Scholar, will be honored for his tireless volunteering efforts at The Neighborhood Center’s 101st annual meeting and luncheon, to be held at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, May 3, at St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church in Cherry Hill.